CENTER VALLEY,Pa.-With a 3-0 win at DeSales this evening, No. 21 Eastern
University Volleyball completed its fifth consecutive unbeaten run
through the Freedom Conference regular season. The win assures home
court advantage for the Eagles through the upcoming Freedom Conference
tournament this coming weekend.
Eastern (23-5, 7-0) rode a strong service game to a 25-16 win in the
opening set. Kearby Benak recorded a pair of aces and five kills in the
set. The junior outside hitter finished the evening with a match-best 14
kills. Though the Eagles pulled out to an early lead and were never
threatened in the opening set, the Bulldog defense was able to provide a
strong presence at the net to force the Eagles to a .179 hitting
percentage.
The Eagles also struggled with hitting errors in the second set. After
jumping to 22-12 lead in the set, Eastern scuffled a bit down the
stretch and allowed the hosts to close the deficit to 24-20. Amy Guarino
provided a spark in the second set with four kills on nine swings and
five digs. Guarino and senior middle Rachel Wenger (four kills) were the
only two hitters to hit a positive number for the set.
eastern grabbed the lead at 9-8 in the third set and built the lead to
17-10 on a strong run of serves from Benak, but the four-time Freedom
Champs committed six more hitting errors in the final set while allowing
DeSales to close within three points before Guarino ended the match
with her ninth kill.
Benak finished with 14 kills and five aces to lead the Eastern attack.
Guarino was the most efficient Eastern hitter with no errors and a .450
hitting percentage in two sets played. Wenger and Lauren Sproles each
had seven kills. Rikki Schlager had 36 assists and 11 digs.
DeSales (12-17, 6-1 Freedom) became the first Freedom Conference School
to reach 20 points in a set this year. Senior Paige Horrigan led DeSales
with eight kills and four blocks.
The Eagles will host the Misericordia University Cougars in one Freedom
Semifinal on Wednesday night. The Cougars advanced to the tournament
with a 3-0 win over Manhattanville this evening. DeSales will host Wilkes University on Wednesday.
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